Shower pipe orifice cleaner



July 3, 1956 J. E. GAFFNEY SHOWER PIPE OEIEICE CLEANER Filed NOV. 23, 1954 vl. my M NN R EW o VA O T WG M E H O J Y B I NN WW,

United States Patent C SHOWER PWE RIFHCE CLEANER .lohn E. Gaffney, Cranford, N. li..

Application November 23, 1954, Serial No. 470,765

9 Claims. (Cl. 299--5-9) This invention relates to shower pipe orifice cleaners, and more particularly to devices of this character for cleaning out clogging material from the orifices of shower pipes for use in paper mills for projecting sprays of cleaning fluids against the felts or wire covered cylinders employed in the paper-making process.

inasmuch as the felt passes over and around a large number of closely compacted rollers, and it is desirable to have the shower pipes spaced at intervals along the path of the felt through the rollers, there is little room for cleaning mechanism. For this reason it has been proposed to mount moving Scrapers or brushes inside the shower pipe for cleaning purposes, but inasmuch as the Scrapers or brushes cannot enter and pass through the orifices, they are not effective to remove clogging material lodged in the orices.

For similar cleaning operations in bottle washing machines, it has been proposed to provide a bar inside the pipe with pins adapted to register with the orifices, but this arrangement has required radial stuffing boxes for stems connected to the bar, and mechanism outside the pipes for driving the stems to move the bar and its pins. There is no room for such outside driving mechanism in a paper mill.

lt is therefore the main object of the present invention to provide cleaning members inside the pipe adapted to register with the orifices, and mechanism also inside the pipe for moving the cleaning members out through the orifices.

According to the present invention the shower pipe orifice cleaner comprises a bar inside the pipe extending longitudinally thereof, a row of cleaning members spaced along the bar and registering with the jet orifices of the pipe, and mechanism inside the pipe for reciprocating the bar outwardly to thrust the cleaning members outwardly through the orifices to remove clogging material therefrom. The cleaner bar is preferably mounted in slides inside the pipe and extending radially thereof. The internal reciprocating mechanism comprises a longitudinally extending operating member mounted inside the pipe, and motion transmitting members inside the pipe and connected to said longitudinal member in spaced relation. The longitudinal member is preferably a rod mounted in bearings, and the motion transmitting inembers are preferably cams secured to the rod. The internal mechanism is preferably assembled on an insert outside of the pipe as a package unit, which can be inserted in the shower pipe and secured in position to register the cleaning members with the jet orifices.

ln the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through a shower pipe provided with an orifice cleaner according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section showing a modified form of the orice cleaner;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

The apparatus shown in the drawing comprises a shower tube T having an inlet I in one end through which cleaning fluid is supplied, and a longitudinally extending row of outlet jet orifices I through which jets of cleaning uid are projected outwardly in a substantially radial direction. A row of cleaning members such as needles or pins N is mounted within the tube T and longitudinally spaced to register with the orifices I. The cleaning members are carried by a rigid needle bar D mounted inside the pipe and extending longitudinally thereof.

The needle bar D is mounted for substantially radial movement in slides or hangers H spaced along the inside of the tube T. Secured to the bar D are cam followers F which have apertures or bores A through which passes a longitudinally extending operating rod R. The rod R is movably mounted in bearings B inside the tube T and spaced therealong, and extends out through a stuffing box G in the end of the tube opposite from the inlet I.

The operating rod R is provided with cams C, one for each follower F, and is driven by a driving mechanism M outside of the stuiiing box G for operating the cams C to urge the needle bar D outwardly, so as to thrust the cleaning members N out through the jet orices J and positively dislodge clogging material therefrom. For convenience in assembly an insert S is provided, on which all of the parts can be mounted in the open, and thereafter inserted in the tube T as a unit, the insert S being shaped to fit inside the tube T and to be secured in position therein.

in the form shown in Fig. 1, the operating rod il is slidably mounted in the bearings B for longitudinally reciprocating movement. The bearings B are supported by struts 10 secured to the insert S at spaced intervals therealong. The operating rod R is slotted and the cams C are in the form of Hat key plates pinned therein, having an upper inclined edge I3 adapted to engage a groove 14 in the upper surface of the aperture A in the follower F, to draw the bar D inwardly, and a lower inclined edge l5 adapted to engage a groove lo in the lower surface of the aperture A to thrust the bar D outwardly. The driving means M comprises a lever 2li pivoted on a bracket 22 secured to the end of the tube T and having an elongated slot receiving a pin 2.5 on the operating rod R.

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the operating rod R is a shaft rotatably journaled in the bearings B, and passing through the aperture A in the follower F. The cams C are in the form of a Scotch yoke comprising eccentrics 32 and 33 on each side of the aperture A, and which revolve between parallel flat plates 3ft and 35 on the follower F. The eccentrics 32 and 33 are secured to the shaft R by set screws 36. The eccentric 32 has integral hub 37 concentric with the shaft R and which rotates in the aperture A and serves as a spacer between the eccentrics to clear the parallel sides of the loop 38 of follower F.

The engagement of the eccentrics 32 and 33 with the plate 35 drives the bar D outwardly, and with the plate 34 draws the bar D inwardly. The driving means M comprises a handwheel 39 having a crank handle liti. Continuous rotation of the handwheel in one direction causes repeated reciprocation of the bar D. The one direction of rotation avoids any tendency to unscrew the stuling box.

I claim:

l. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a bar inside the pipe extending longitudinally thereof, a row of cleaning members spaced along said bar and registering with said orices, and mechanism inside the pipe for reciprocating said bar outwardly to thrust the cleaning members outwardly through the orifices to remove clogging material therefrom- 2. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe liaving longitudinally spaced ist @ritmes .awaiting a bar inside the pipe extending 'longitudinally thereof, ka rrow 0f Cleaning members Spass@ along said bar and .resistering with said orifices, slides inside the pipe extending radially thereof and receiving said bar, mechanism inside the pipe for reciprocating said bar in said slides to thrust the cleaning members outwardly through the orifices to remove clogging material therefrom.

3. Shower pipe orifice cleaner vfor a shower pipe haying longitudinally spaced. iet Cricesgamprising' a mw of lcleaning members inside the pipe registering vwith said orifices, a longitudinally extending operating niernber movably moilnted inside the pipe, Vand motion transmitting members inside the pipe connected to said longitudinally extending member in spaced relation for thrusting said cleaning members outwardly Vthrough the orifices to remove clogging material therefrom. Y

4 Shower pipe orifice cleaner for .a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a row of cleaning members inside `the pipe registering with said orifices, and cams inside the pipe for thrusting said cleaning members out through the :orifices Vto remove clogging material therefrom.

5. Shower pipe orificecleaner for a Shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a Vrow of cleaning members inside the pipe registering with said orifices, a longitudinally extending operating member, bearings inside the pipe for supporting said operating member, and mechanism inside the pipe raptuated by said longitudinally extending member for thrusting said Vcleaning members outwardly through said ories to dislodge clogging material therefrom.

6. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a bar inside the pipe extending longitudinally thereof, `a row of cleaning members spaced along said bar and registering with said orifices, an operating rod y extendinglongitudinally inside the pipe, bearings inside the pipe and spaced therealong for supporting said operating rod, cams spaced along said operating rod, followers spaced along said bar engaging said cams, said pipe having an inlet at one end for cleaning uid, a stufiing box at the other end of said pipe through which said operating rod passes, and driving means for said operating rod outside of said stuffing box for actuating said cams to thrust said cleaning members outwardly through said orifices to dislodge clogging material therefrom. i

7. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a base adapted to be inserted in the pipe and vto be secured to the inside of the wall thereof, struts spaeed along said base, bearings mounted on said struts, an operating rod passing through said hearings, cams on said operating rod intermediate said bearings, followers engaging said cams, and a bar secured to said followers and having cleaning members spaced therealong adapted to register with said orifices.

8. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced orifices, comprising a loir nally extending Supporting member adaptedto be secur to the inside of the pipe,` a plurality v of slides ,carriedby said supporting member and extending Itransversely thereto, a bar reciprocably Amounted in said slides Yand having cleaning members spaced therealong adapted to register with said orifices, and mechanism mountedv on saidsupporting member for reciprocating said bar in ,said slides.

9. Shower pipe orifice cleaner for a shower pipe having longitudinally spaced jet orifices, comprising a row of cleaning members inside the pipe registering said orifices, a longitudinally extending operating member mounted for longitudinal reciprocation inside said pipe, and means actuated by longitudinalV reciprocation `offsaid operating member for thrusting said cleaning Vrnemlge'rs outwardly through the orifices to remove clogging .material therefrom.V

References Cited in the file o f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,617 Speakman Aug. 14, 11917 1,561,809 Valerius Nov. 17, 1925 2,630,324 Lay Mar. 3, 1953 2,699,968 Meyer Q Jan. 18, 1-955 

